Airport selection criteria of low-cost carriers: A fuzzy analytical hierarchy process

Loh H. S., Yuen K. F., Wang X., Surucu-Balci E., Balci G., Zhou Q.

JOURNAL OF AIR TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT, cilt.83, 2020 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 83
  • Basım Tarihi: 2020
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2019.101759
  • Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF AIR TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Geobase, Hospitality & Tourism Complete, Hospitality & Tourism Index, Index Islamicus
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Low-cost carriers, Airport selection criteria, FAHP, SERVICE QUALITY, AIRLINES, PASSENGERS, CHOICE, COMPETITION, STRATEGIES, IMPACTS
  • Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

The selection of airport is an important consideration for low-cost carriers (LCCs) to remain cost competitive. The objective of this study is to identify and rank the airport selection criteria of LCCs. Based on reviewing the existing literature, five main factors comprising 16 sub-factors were developed. The factors were first validated by three industry experts from the aviation industry. Thereafter, a survey questionnaire requiring a comparison of the factors was administered on 28 executives who were involved in the strategy planning and formulation of LCCs based in China or Korea. The collected data were analysed using fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP). In descending order of their importance, the main factors influencing LCCs' selection of airport are (1) airport charges, (2) airport performance, (3) airport growth opportunities, (4) catchment area and (5) airport infrastructure. The top three sub-factors are airport costs, demand for LCC services and passenger throughput. The research contributes to academic research by providing a holistic assessment of the key considerations influencing LCCs' selection of airport. In addition, it implicates policy formulation of LCCs by providing a framework for assessment of airports that are suitable for LCCs' operations.